The Train Theater began as a collaboration of four artists, independent puppeteers: Michael Shuster, Alina Ashbal, Hadas Ofrat and the late Mario Kotliar. The theater began its journey in a train car that was brought to the bell garden in Jerusalem and over the years grew to become a locomotive, the main creative force and inspiration in everything related to the puppet theater in Israel. In August 2021, the theater moved to its new residence - the Davidson Residence.
The theater repertoire expresses the artistic languages in the interrelationship between the content and the style: the space, the text, the images, the material, the object and the puppet, according to the age of the spectators. The productions are carefully selected by an artistic committee under the direction of the artistic director.
Theater performances are staged in Jerusalem throughout the country and overseas and receive recognition and awards in Israel and the world. The shows are created out of an in-depth search for a style of personal expression and are aimed at the highest level of stage and performance art.
The theater promotes new work and encourages multidisciplinary creators to create artistic puppet theater for children also through continuing education frameworks. The theater operates out of social commitment and devotes special resources to community projects for diverse and special populations. Every year, in the summer, the theater produces the International Puppet Theater Festival where there is an annual meeting between puppeteers, spectators, creators and festival directors from Israel and the world.
